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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25090918">These are your friends from childhood, through  youth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa'>Aaronlisa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Season/Series 04, Swearing, potential consent issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:07:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25090918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan ends up slipping Rupert a different potion and pays for it.  (AU version of what happens in 4x12 "A New Man."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rupert Giles &amp; Ethan Rayne, Rupert Giles/Ethan Rayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Summer of Giles</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>These are your friends from childhood, through  youth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon and company. The story opens up with a line from 4x12 "A New Man," which was written by Jane Espenson. And there's a lyric from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. The title comes from the Joy Division song "Days of the Lords."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ethan smirks at him. "Relax, Enjoy the night. We're just a couple of sorcerers. The night is still <i>our</i> time Time of magic." </p><p>Ripper always got a bit maudlin when he drank. The small dram of potion that he had slipped him should help to loosen him up. </p><p>"To magic," Giles replies as they clink their glasses together. </p><p>Ethan watches as Ripper drains his glass dry. When Ripper looks up at him a bit owlishly, it somewhat ruins the effect that Ethan is trying to go for. Ripper blinks a few times as the potion works over him. Just a little something to loosen his intentions, to make him forget that he's a tweed-clad Watcher. Ripper takes his glasses off and shoves them in his suit pocket. </p><p>"Shall we have another round?" Ripper asks. </p><p>"Aren't you going to feel like Hell  in the morning?" Ethan asks. </p><p>"It's not morning yet, is it?" Ripper replies with a smirk of his own. </p><p>"Not even close, Ripper," Ethan says with a dark laugh. </p><p>Ripper flags down the waitress, who Ethan had considered hitting up out of boredom, and orders them both new pints and some shooters. When she leaves to get their new round of drinks, Ethan arches an eyebrow at his old friend. </p><p>"Why should the kids get all of the fun?" Ripper says. "We used to be young once. We used to have loads of fun." </p><p>"Who says we're old men?" </p><p>Ripper's lips twist into a moue of disappointment. "Children." </p><p>Ethan tires not to snarl at the mention of the children that Ripper is saddled with. All goodness and light. It's rather revolting how close he is to them when Ripper had always said that he never wanted a pack of snot-nosed kids. He hates how the Council has reshaped Ripper into a somewhat respectable man. When the waitress comes back with their drinks, Ethan throws some money on the table for her. Ripper might have ordered this round but he's also paid for the bulk of them. </p><p>He picks up one of the shooters with some sort of sexual innuendo for a name and shoves it at Ripper. He takes the other one and raises it at Ripper. </p><p>"Well bottoms up, old man!" </p><p>Both of them make a face of disgust at the taste of cheap overly sweat alcohol covered in whipping cream from a can. It might have an amusing name from a juvenile point of view but it was nothing on the whiskey that both men normally consumed. Without a word, they both grab their pints and drink deeply hoping to erase the chemical taste of almonds and cream from their mouths. </p><p>After the round is finished, Ethan talks Ripper out of ordering another one. The only downfall of the potion he had slipped him earlier is that it makes the drinker more intoxicated. He wants to have fun with Ripper not completely incapacitate him. So he suggest that they leave the bar. Ethan's about to suggest his cheap motel room but he's happily surprised when Ripper insists on taking Ethan back to his flat. </p><p>It's the first time in a very long time that Rupert has acted this friendly to him since the year when Rupert decided to follow in his family's footsteps and join the Council. And it makes Ethan feel a twinge of guilt. One that he pushes down. After all, he could have just as easily slipped the other potion into Ripper's drink at the bar. And while that would have been rather amusing and interesting, Ethan is well aware that it may have more potentially lethal affects to Ripper. </p><p>They may be adversaries now, on opposite sides of a war, but Ethan would rather hate to see Rupert dead through something that he did. He still hopes that one day with the right push, <i>his</i> Ripper will return to him through his own choice. </p><p>Ripper opens the door and doesn't say anything to invite Ethan in. His inhibitions may be lower, but he's not a fool. Ethan walks in and Ripper sighs in relief. He mumbles something about how one can never to be too careful on the Hellmouth. Ethan smirks when Ripper goes to get them new drinks. </p><p>"Ah much better than that shite at that bar," Ripper says as he pulls out a bottle of high-end scotch. </p><p>Ethan watches as the other man fills two glasses up full with the alcohol. He doubts that in normal circumstances Rupert would be this generous with it. But he doesn't really care. Instead he gratefully takes the glass. </p><p>"Bit quiet, isn't it?" Ethan asks after the first sip. </p><p>For some reason, he's thinking about that hideous place where he and Ripper had squatted while Ripper was still actively rejecting who he was supposed become based on his last name. Their squat had never been this clean or this quiet. It's evident that Ripper's become rather domesticated. Ripper makes his way over to the stereo mumbling again, this time about the only one of the children who actually appreciated his taste in music is gone again. </p><p>"The little brats seem to think that because I'm of a certain age, I need to listen to classical music and other garbage like that," Ripper mumbles. </p><p>Ethan makes a noise of agreement as something begins to play on the stereo softly at first but it slowly becomes louder and chaotic with each moment. The slow and soft beating of heart catches his attention and makes Ethan smile to know that underneath the layers of tweed, starched shirts and ties, that Ripper's still Ripper. </p><p>
  <i>"I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely mad."</i>
</p><p>Ripper sways a bit to the music with a boyish smirk on his lips. Ethan looks around them at the flat and at the glimpse into Ripper's current life. He can't help but wonder if things would have played out different had Ripper not rejected who they were when Randall had died. Ethan's positive that the familial duty would have won out in the end and that Ripper would have become a Watcher no matter what. But maybe instead of rejecting Ethan they would have been together still. </p><p>The alcohol in his stomach turns sour. This was supposed to be fun. He blames Ripper for his choice in music. The other man had always had a second sense in playing the right album at the right moment. An album that talks about madness is rather bloody spot on. It makes him miss the old days in London when they'd lay about all day, playing around with drugs and magic and then joyride in the evenings before winding up at some club or another. Danger had been fun then. Now it's rote and boring. It's something Ethan does now because he has to. He's pledged his allegiance and he has to pay the price. </p><p>Rupert was smart to get out when he did. </p><p>"Do you ever miss any of it Rupert?" Ethan quietly asks. </p><p>Rupert murmurs a sound that can be taken for agreement. He's lost in the potion, the alcohol and the music. Ethan collapses into a comfortable chair and decides to not ask the question again. He's sure that the answer will only hurt him. He suspects that Rupert's happy with the past being the past and that he lives such a respectable life now. Before he can get too maudlin, Rupert's kneeling on the floor in front of him, cradling Ethan's face between his hands. </p><p>"All of the time, Ethan," Rupert fiercely says. "All of the fucking time." </p><p>And then Rupert's lips are crashing down on his Ethan's in a kiss that's full of promise. It'd be easy for Ethan to take advantage of that promise. The potion only releases the drinker's inhibitions. </p><p>*	*	* </p><p>Rupert's groans wake him up. Guilt and disappointment washes over Ethan. Apparently he's been in Rupert's company for far too long. It's not as if <i>anything</i> actually happened. A few rough and passionate kisses and clumsy fumblings that went nowhere before they both fell into Rupert's bed fully dressed. They had cuddled against one another as they had spoken about shared memories that were better forgotten. </p><p>Ethan clears his throat and starts to say something but Rupert's sleep-roughened voice stops him. </p><p>"Oh do shut up." </p><p>Rupert shifts in the bed so that his arms wrap around Ethan's slim body. </p><p>"I have the worst hangover and I know it's partly your fault. The least you can do is take care of me instead of trying to piss off. I haven't forgotten what happened last night." </p><p>Rupert's fierce tone is ruined by the groan he makes at the end of his statement. But Ethan will forgive him for it. After all, they're not young men anymore and this is far more enjoyable than his previous welcomes in Sunnydale. </p><p>"If you insist," Ethan practically purrs. </p><p>"Bloody wanker," Rupert mumbles against his shoulder. </p><p>Far too soon, Rupert will be feeling better and Ethan will be shown the door with a terse warning to not darken it anytime soon but for now, he can relish in the illusion of domesticity. </p><p>((END))</p>
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